Season 4 AU - Run Faster, Run Stronger
by Chocolate X My Mouth
Summary: (sequel to Season 3 AU - Team Up, Speed Up) A new mayor, a new team, and new enemies; it really seems like an average time in Central City. However, Barry Allen is now preparing to face his greatest challenger yet - and she doesn't pull her punches. Can his fiancee, Caitlin Snow, and best friends Cisco and Becky help him stop her before its too late? (Snowbarry! :D)
1. 4x01

**WOW. THIS IS A THING... THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. SEASON 4 AU. **

**I honestly can't believe I'm here... I seriously can't thank each and everyone of you enough. Everyone who's pushed me to keep going, everyone who reviewed/fav'ed/followed, thank you guys so much. This one's for you. :)**

**Now, let's get to the first chapter of "Season 4 AU - Run Faster, Run Stronger"!**

* * *

_**Chapter 1 - Hero of Central City**_

**Chapter 1 Summary: Barry finally feels a quiet hush sweep over Central City; meta activity has been low, work has been working out, and he wakes up every morning with his fiancee. Life seems to finally be picking up in speed for Barry and his team, but they find themselves thrown back into the meta business when a mysterious pair of odd brothers show up on Flash Day...**

_**3 months after Godspeed's defeat...**_

Caitlin's eyes fluttered open on that morning, reading "5:30" on the alarm clock. And what had awoken her - a clutter from the bathroom.

"God, Barry... what are you doing?" she quietly wondered.

She threw on her robe over her pajamas, and went to go see what all the racket was. When she got there... she couldn't help but giggle.

Barry was in his Flash costume, standing in front of the mirror, and concealer was everywhere. "I've got a spot! And tomorrow's Flash Day! Mayor Morrisroe wants to publicly congratulate me, and you know how the press is with this stuff, so I decided to use some of your makeup to try and-"

"Barry Allen," Caitlin said, sighing and giggling. "I can't believe I'm gonna marry you soon..."

"You don't have to," Barry said.

"Nah, I'm gonna," she giggled. "Okay, get a washcloth - let's start from square one, ya noob."

"Hey, not funny," Barry pouted jokingly.

Caitlin giggled, and kissed his cheek - she immediately was spitting off the concealer she had caught. After Barry washed his face, Caitlin was able to completely cover over the spot within about five minutes.

"When did you wake up?" asked Caitlin.

"Uh... 5:15..." Barry sheepishly admitted.

Caitlin giggled, and kissed him on his concealer-free lips. "Come on back to bed... you've got a little bit of time left, right?"

"He wants me there at 7:00 for the preparations," said Barry.

"And I need you at 5:35 to cuddle me," Caitlin said drowsily, putting herself into Barry's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Oh, fine," Barry chuckled. "On the couch, though. Can't risk a pillow getting stained."

"Whatever..." Caitlin chuckled, already falling back to sleep.

Barry couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten to fall in love with Caitlin - she was his dream girl. Everything he could love, wrapped into one. He honestly wished he could hold her forever; that they could always be at least close to each other. Of course, that sounded possessive, and that was the last thing he wanted to do to Caitlin; he just loved her so much... And his love was re-kindled again as he cuddled her in his lap on their couch, her discarded robe acting as their blanket.

"Hey... wanna know something funny?" his drowsy fiancee asked. "Can't dance. Me. Can't do it."

"I thought you could tap," Barry said.

"Yeah, I can tap! But I can't dance," said Caitlin. He was pretty sure this was her half-asleep... the regular Caitlin would never be this open about her dancing flaws unless she was on the floor. "Like, moving back-n-forth."

Barry chuckled. "Well, I'll give you a free lesson as soon as I can," he smiled, before kissing her forehead. "I love you so much."

"Love ya too, babe," Caitlin whispered, before falling back asleep.

When 7:00 came around, Barry had to gently carry Caitlin back into their bed, tuck her under the covers, and kiss her goodbye before leaving - all without waking her up.

And then came the challenge of leaving in his Flash costume... thankfully, no one was out and about in the hall, so he camouflaged his face and bolted over to Mayor Robert - or, as the public had affectionately come to know him, Bobby - Morrisroe's office.

"The Flash! _Literally_ one of my favorite people on the earth!" Bobby said excitedly. "How are you today? Its your big day!"

The new mayor was energetic, young, and exciting - he loved to do his duty as mayor for the people, which made him different from the previous people who occupied his chair.

"I'm good, Mr. Mayor," Barry smiled. "How are you?"

"I've never felt better," Bobby beamed. "Well, okay, I have, but you know what I'm saying. I'm so excited - its my first Flash Day!"

"I can imagine it would be exciting," Barry said, still smiling.

"There's just... one thing that I ask of you," Bobby said, looking down. "C-Could... Could I-"

"Yeah, sure," Barry said.

With that, he pulled back his mask, and revealed his identity. Bobby, however, just smirked.

"I knew there was something special about you, Allen," he said happily.

"H-How do you-Ohh yeah, I met you at CCPD!" Barry recalled.

"Yeah, my first act in office was increasing your all's budget!" Bobby laughed. "I knew that you must've been special to have gotten such praise from Captain Singh and Deputy Rhodes. Just... one thing..."

"Yes?"

"Is your hair always like that?" asked the mayor, chuckling.

Barry pulled out his camera on his phone, and looked at his hair - how had he forgotten to comb his bedhead?!

"No no no! I just forgot... Ugh, waking up at 5 AM is never a good move," he muttered.

"I forgot - I am so sorry that you had to do this," said Bobby. "Tell you what - take tomorrow off. Its my way of thanking you; plus, three day weekend!"

"Sounds great! Thank you, Mr. Mayor," smiled Barry.

Bobby patted his shoulder. "Please, call me Bobby."

* * *

Caitlin walked into the lab, and tossed four bags across the room - one, accidentally, at Cisco's face (of which it hit; she didn't mean that), Becky's arms, and randomly at Iris and Wally.

"What's in these?" asked Becky.

"Could you have aimed for something else?" asked Cisco.

"Flash t-shirts?" Wally wondered aloud.

"OH MY GOSH! Its Flash Day!" Iris exclaimed. "I should've known - look at you, Caitlin! Lookin' all adorable in that Flash cap and t-shirt."

"Thank you kindly, Iris," Caitlin smiled, taking a little curtsy. "But yes, it is Flash Day! How did you all forget?"

"I forgot to set a reminder, in my defense," Cisco said.

"Unlucky?" Becky offered.

"I've never been invited to one," Wally said, looking down.

"Well, we're all going this year! We need to start supporting our boy!" Caitlin said. "And not just in the field - we need to show him we love him even outside the team."

"I think he knows that already," Iris said, gesturing at Caitlin with a wink. "Still, I agree completely."

"Yeah, and plus, free t-shirt! Thanks Caitlin," Cisco said, making a fist-bump in the air.

Caitlin reciprocated with a smile. "Alright team, let's get changed!"

Suddenly, two new figures walked into the room - couple Lenny Fiasco and Grace Balin. "Got your call - we'll gladly watch over the lab for ya," Grace smiled.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice," Caitlin beamed.

"Hey, anything to hide from the public eye," Lenny said. "That word Barry gave to Singh's done well..."

"The cops don't really like us," Grace whispered.

"I'll see if I can help," Caitlin nodded. "Thanks you guys!"

And with that, the five people in the room closest to Barry's heart left to go put on their t-shirts, and support their team leader.

* * *

_**At the Flash Day Celebration...**_

Barry, the Mayor, and his wife Cindy Morrisroe were heading to the event in the Mayor's limo, observing the city as they drove at a steady place. The afternoon-mid-evening sunlight rained down upon Central City, giving it a feeling like no other.

"Its an honor to be here, with you, Flash," smiled Cindy. "So... I hear a rumor from my husband that you're an engaged man!"

"I am, yes," Barry smiled, nodding. "She's the best person in the world... I'd never deserve her in a million years."

"Well, if you speak of her like that, I'm sure she's amazing!" Bobby smiled. "Oh, oh would you look at that! Look at all of them!"

The mayor was pointing out the limo window at the park, which was in eyesight, and _so many people _had gathered there - it was a shock, really! Barry didn't even know he had this many fans... over half of the city seemed to be here, maybe more!

He wondered if his friends were in the crowd... if his fiancee was.

"Oh, and this is our stop!" Cindy said, "you ready, hon?"

"Let's do it," Bobby beamed. "You'll hear your cue, Mr. Allen!"

"Roger," Barry smiled, pulling the mask over his head.

"-ladies and gentlemen, the Mayor and Madam of Central City, Robert and Cynthia Morrisroe!" the speaker said, announcing the presence of Central City's newly beloved couple.

Bobby and Cindy were immediately greeted with cheers and outstretched hands - everyone wanted to get a look at them. They were really a lovely couple... they secretly weren't big fans of publicity (which is why Bobby preferred to be in the City Council), but they still loved their city, and would greet everyone they could. Barry was much more comfortable with Bobby than with Bellows - something about the new, young Mayor was so much more likable. It didn't help with the attention that his wife was also extremely gorgeous...

There was one attribute about Bobby that everyone loved too - his gentle voice. When he got up to the podium, everyone hushed. "Thank you all for coming out today... we are here today for an obvious reason. And, no, not like your t-shirts suggest - we aren't here to honor the Gotham vigilante."

The crowd erupted into laughter.

"No no, today... today we're here to honor our hero," he continued. "A man who has served us faithfully from his first day on the job, that I now have the privilege of calling my friend. Ladies and gentlemen, the hero of Central City, THE FLASH!"

Barry then was let out of the limo - the moment he stepped out, screams. That's really it, screams.

However, he still moved swiftly along the queue that had been set up for himself and the mayor. He shook hands, greeted fans, signed several autographs, and even kissed a baby! Now that in particular was special to him - he still hadn't forgotten what the Speed Force had shown him. Babies were a bit of a weak spot when it came to Barry's heart these days.

Anyway, he made his way up to the podium...

He saw them.

Caitlin, Cisco, Becky, Iris, and Wally - all in the crowd, chanting "Flash!" with the rest of them.

He looked at them in particular when he was waving to the crowd - he could see his fiancee's engagement ring sparkle from way up there.

It was like he was having a mini-happy attack. He waved to the crowd once more, and turned back to face Mayor Morrisroe.

"Flash... it is my honor, and I feel, my duty... to present you," the mayor said, "to present you... with this Flash-themed mug."

He handed the red mug to Barry, who just chuckled.

"We can't really beat the Key to the City, and we uh... kinda got thrown in here," Cindy shrugged.

Barry, however, was beaming. "Its the thought that counts. Thank you guys!"

Bobby and Cindy smiled, and instead of shaking his hand, the couple hugged him. Barry felt this was symbolic - the previous mayor had only shaken his hand, and also he seemed to like his space. Bobby and Cindy, however, didn't hesitate to close the distance between themselves and the hero - like they trusted him more.

However...

The festivities were interrupted.

An arrow flew out of the crowd at Barry's face - he spun around to grab it, but the instant a weapon was spotted, the mayor and his wife were getting pulled away by their bodyguards.

However... one of them tried to trip the Mayor.

"BOBBY!" Cindy screamed, instantly stopping to check on her husband.

"Fatal mistake, ma'am," the bodyguard who had tripped Bobby smirked.

His suit and tie were gone in a puff of smoke, and instantly replaced with what looked to be a biker-like outfit. He then sprinted over to the fleeing crowd, catching up with the crossbow wielder.

"What took you so long, Grimm?!" yelled the crossbow wielder.

"Sorry, Angar," said Grimm, "had to take care of some stuff."

Suddenly - Barry was standing before them, and a hastily-masked Cisco and Becky were at his sides. "I don't know what you think your business is here, but you need to get lost," said Barry.

"The Brothers Grimm never retreat!" yelled Grimm.

"The Brothers Grimm?" Becky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Grimm, and this is my brother Angar," said Grimm. "The Brothers Grimm. Get it?"

"...No," Cisco said. "I actually do, but surely you could've come up with a better name."

"Well forgive us," Angar said.

He then suddenly drew his crossbow back out, and shot at Jinx - she blocked the shot, but not before something threw Grimm and Angar down to the ground...

It was a furious blast of ice.

And when they looked up, there was a crystal white-haired Caitlin Snow, standing mere yards away from the action.

Barry sighed, and flashed her over behind one of the event tents - this had happened before. "Cait? Cait? Are you there?"

The frosty alter ego of the normally calm doctor suddenly came back, and she was panting rapidly. "D-Did she come out again?"

"She only seems to come out when she's scared about me... at least we know she cares," Barry chuckled.

Caitlin nodded. "Iris and Wally should be around here somewhere... I'm sorry, we got separated-"

Barry interrupted her with a quick, yet no less loving kiss. "Don't worry. Just stay here - the three of us have it handled."

"Gotcha," she said, kissing him back. "Good luck, Barry."

"Who needs luck when I need to come home to you?" Barry chuckled, giving her a supportive smile before racing back onto the field. As he ran back out, however... Grimm and Angar had vanished into thin air.

"What the heck happened?" asked Cisco aloud.

Suddenly, the police who had been blocked off by the crowds arrived - among them were Captain Singh and Deputy Rhodes. "What the hell were those guys?" Singh asked.

"I don't know," Becky said, "hey, how's Mayor Morrisroe and Cindy?"

"They're fine," Kimmy said. "Last dispatch we got was that they were being escorted back to city hall in their motorcade. I'd assume they're okay."

"Was this an assassination attempt?" asked Cisco.

"We've probably only just begun to see what this is, whether it was one or not," Singh sighed. "I'll run facial recognition for the two attackers... one of them appeared to be one of the Mayor's bodyguards."

"The other one stuck a crossbow out of a crowd," Barry said. "Security footage shouldn't be too hard to decode."

The two chiefs of police nodded, and headed back to their cars.

* * *

"So... Grimm, and Angar? What kinda names are those?" Grace asked aimlessly.

"Names I wouldn't come up with," Cisco said, "what even were their powers?"

"They had the ability to change their clothes extremely fast," said Caitlin. "And add disappearance and flight too - they seem pretty strong."

"Nothing we can't take down, right?" asked Becky.

"Well, we have been off our game," Wally shrugged. "We may need a day or two."

"Take the rest of the day off, team," said Barry, checking his watch. "Its basically time to go home, anyway."

As the team all began to file out, Barry and Caitlin were eventually the only ones left. "You ready to go babe?" asked Caitlin softly, grabbing her things.

"Singh just texted... wants me at the station," sighed Barry. "More than likely, I won't be home until after dark."

Caitlin let out a sad sigh. "So you won't be home for dinner?"

"I'll pick up something when I come back," Barry said. "Though it will be nowhere near as good as anything you can make."

Caitlin smiled, and kissed him gently. "Love you honey. Come home soon."

"Will do," Barry nodded.

And with that, Barry sped out of the lab, and Caitlin brushed her hair back to normal...

She'd never get tired of that.

* * *

_**9:30, Caitlin's apartment...**_

She had just gotten changed to start getting ready for bed - she was looking forward to getting a long, long night of sleep that weekend. Dr. Snow felt like, for the first time in a long time, she could sleep for over ten or twelve hours.

And then, she heard the door softly open then close - Caitlin dropped everything she was doing to greet her dearly beloved.

"You're home," she said happily, jumping into his arms.

"Woah, miss me much?" Barry chuckled, kissing her hair. "I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too," Caitlin said, standing back up on her own two feet. "Did you eat?"

Barry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Okay, as punishment, I am not going to go to bed until you at least eat something," Caitlin said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Cait, I'm fine-"

"One more 'Cait, I'm fine', and I'm cooking a three-course meal for you," she said threateningly.

Barry normally never rejected food - but when Caitlin's sleep schedule was on the line, he'd gladly take anything cheap. He easily found an easy cup of ramen, and began preparing it in the microwave.

"You and I are not a normal couple, y'know," Barry chuckled.

Caitlin shrugged. "Its what I love about us."

Barry smiled, and rubbed her head. "I completely agree."

After he ate the noodles, he raced off to join Caitlin in getting ready for bed. When the two finally joined one another under the covers, it was a night of happiness and cuddles.

"So... how are you feeling after your big day?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Tired as hell," Barry muttered, chuckling. "We are _definitely _sleeping in tomorrow."

"No duh," Caitlin giggled. "I love you, baby. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetie," Barry said, turning off the lamp and letting sleep overtake them.

However, at around 1 AM...

_Crash!_

A loud sound coming from the kitchen caused Barry to jolt awake from his slumber. Caitlin, thankfully, didn't seem to be awakened; Barry quietly moved out of her arm, trying his hardest to ignore the small whine she gave as her arms suddenly felt free and not holding him - he had never been more tempted to ignore a potential intruder, but thankfully, she settled on grabbing his pillow.

When he walked out of their bedroom - he could see two figures standing in his kitchen.

Grimm and Angar.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Barry demanded, as quietly yet threatening as he could.

"Sorry!" Grimm whispered. "Didn't mean to make the plate fall off the counter."

"Here, I'll fix it," Angar said.

He then used some of his power to... to magically fix the plate.

"You see, we're cousins of one of your old foes... Music Meister," said Grimm. "So we have... basically a softer version of his powers."

"We can't alter reality or make you sing and dance," Angar said, "but flight, confusion, magic... we've got all that mumbo-jumbo covered."

"Still doesn't explain why your in my fiancee's apartment," said Barry.

"We're here to inform you that the assassination attempt on Mayor Morrisroe was only the beginning," Angar said, his relaxed position changing quickly to a threatening one.

"Bring it," Barry dared them. "And while you're at it - get the heck out of this apartment."

"Duly noted," Angar said.

And with that, the two fifth-dimensional beings disappeared into thin air.

Barry went back to the bedroom, exasperated, only to see Caitlin sitting upright in their bed. "Did someone break in?" Caitlin asked quietly.

"Grimm and Angar," Barry said, quickly rushing over to reassure Caitlin they were okay. "Nothing's stolen or broken, honey. You can go back to sleep."

Caitlin nodded, but a soft "hold me" echoed from her lips.

Barry didn't let go of her until the morning came.

* * *

"They broke into your apartment?!" Iris exclaimed.

Barry and Caitlin both nodded solemnly - it still shook them that a threat this new was already going to the near furthest extent.

"Grimm and Angar really aren't pulling any punches," Grace muttered. "Thankfully, we won't either once we catch them."

"And this is the second pair of odd siblings we've encountered," added her husband. "Remember Ralph and Laura?"

"Hey yeah, how are we doing tracking down our old foes?" asked Wally.

"Far as we know, Chloe and Emily are in the wind," sighed Caitlin. "Drury might have fled back to Earth-2 somehow, but Zombie Victor and Thomas have been popping up recently. As for Ralph and Laura... ugh, this is stressful."

Cisco nodded in sympathy for Caitlin and Barry. "We'll find em - they can't be the main villain. Its too early for that."

The team chuckled at Cisco's weird comment.

"Hey, Grace and I gotta go work on something," Lenny said, "but we'll catch up with you guys later today."

Barry nodded, and with that, not only did Lenny and Grace move out, but the rest soon followed till it was just him and Caitlin.

Caitlin sighed, and moved her way over to Barry's lap, where she found comfort.

"What's on your mind, honey?" Barry asked gently.

"Just... to think we've just encountered them, and they've already broken in to our home," said Caitlin. "We haven't had a villain do that before."

"I know," Barry nodded. "Look - Grimm and Angar... they probably aren't gonna be the last ones to scare us at our own home. Its probably gonna happen... but I promise you, I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. I'll keep you safe forever."

Caitlin nodded, and buried her head in the crook of Barry's neck - not to cry, just to feel better. Her light headache wasn't really helping with anything, so she really just needed to rest.

There seemed to be nothing wrong with taking a quick doze...

And Barry didn't think so either.

* * *

Iris sighed as she hung up the phone with her new boss, very frustrated at how she was so secluded in her work, and took credit for a lot of papers written by her employees. Her blog was doing... okay, but it needed a bit more traction. Thankfully (although she hated that it happened), Grimm and Angar did give her something to write about.

"Coffee?"

Iris looked up, and there was her fellow co-worker Dominic Lanse.

"Hey Dom! Of course, thank you!" Iris smiled, taking the cup from his tray. "What brings this about?"

"I could tell you were frustrated when you walked in," Dominic said.

"Oh... mind powers?" Iris whispered.

Dominic chuckled.

"It was that obvious, huh?" Iris said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Yeah, though you shouldn't sweat it," said the telepath. "Ms. Bynes isn't really someone any of us like."

Iris nodded, and took a sip of her coffee.

"Hey, uh... I was wondering... are you free tonight?" Dominic asked shyly.

"Of course!" Iris smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

"Uh, dinner... nothing extravagant," he shrugged.

"Okay! Its a date!" Iris said happily, turning back to her computer and giving Dominic a smile.

Dominic walked away happily. "_That went a lot better than expected..._"

* * *

Grimm and Angar had hidden themselves away from the spotlight for a bit, finding a nice and quiet refuge inside of an abandoned building. There seemed to be a dwindling number of these since Mayor Morrisroe came to power, however; it was starting to put a squeeze on any villain hideouts.

Angar angrily loaded his crossbow, and fired at the wall. "How did we not defeat him right then and there?" he said angrily.

"Our cousin managed to knock both him and a lady friend of his out," Grimm shrugged.

"And how he managed to do that, but not us... not us?" Angar said, spluttering.

Suddenly...

They heard footsteps.

They turned around quickly, and saw something... interesting, to say the least.

It was a woman - clearly, by the shape of her form. She had long, flowing jet black hair, and wore dark rimmed shades. She had on a brown muffler scarf, along with a huge overcoat. She also had on a white dress shirt, black skirt, and tan Mary-Janes.

"Hello, boys," she said coyly.

"Who are you?" Grimm asked.

"Just a girl looking to help," the woman said. "You see, I saw you two take on the Flash on the news... kinda got my own thing against him, you see."

"So... you want to help us?" asked Angar.

"On the contrary," said the woman, "I want you all to help me."

"We've only just met you," said Angar. "You expect us to automatically bow down to you?"

The woman smirked.

"You may refer to me as 'Gracen' for now. Not my real name, but its what you shall know me as," she said, before walking off. "Follow me. I want to show you two something."

As she walked off, Grimm smirked, and Angar scowled. "I like her," Grimm said, following Gracen intently.

"And I don't," Angar muttered.

* * *

The next morning, Barry and Caitlin walked into STAR Labs, feeling much better after getting a full night of sleep.

"I'm so glad you feel better," Barry said, looking down at Caitlin with love.

"I am too," Caitlin chuckled. "Feeling bad just stinks."

"So true," Barry laughed. "Well... what's on the agenda for today?"

"Mostly Grimm and Angar, wherever they are," Caitlin shrugged.

Suddenly, Grace walked in, with a smirk on her face. "Sorry if I'm interrupting something, but I think I've gotten a potential snag on a lead."

"Really? From where?" asked Caitlin.

"Well, Lenny's gotten a job at CCPD as an agent," Grace began, smiling for her husband, "and he was able to catch word of a lead from one of the cops that someone saw Grimm and Angar roaming around the seaport on Newfound Street. Its not definitive, but as of now, that's all we've got."

"Its still good," said Barry. "Thank you, Grace. Hey... would you and Lenny be interested in joining me, Cisco, and Becky in the field tonight?"

Grace smirked. "About damn time. For some action, not an offer! Just had to confirm that."

Barry chuckled. "Sounds good. Let's head out there around five... I gotta head to CCPD. I love you, Cait."

"Love you too, Barry," smiled Caitlin, kissing him before he sped away, leaving both of the women's hair a mess.

"Pfft..." Grace said, spitting out a strand that had blown in her face, but she smiled soon after. "You really love him, huh?"

"I do," Caitlin smiled, looking at the door as she took a seat.

"I can tell," she said, smiling at her old lab partner. "You two make a fine couple. Hang onto him, Caitlin."

"I'd never let go," the doctor smiled.

* * *

**_6:00 PM, the seaport_**

Barry, Becky, and Cisco stood in position from their place on the rooftop, waiting for any sight of Grimm and Angar.

"Where's Grace and Lenny?" asked Becky.

"Breaching them in now," Cisco said, turning around and opening a breach - out stepped Orca and Eraser.

"Evening lady and gentlemen," smiled Grace, her white boots striking a bright glare on the evening sky. "So, where's the baddies?"

"No idea just yet," Barry sighed.

Suddenly, a rupture in the middle of the street that they were looking down on - Grimm and Angar suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Go," Barry said, rushing down to the street.

Cisco and Becky followed suit, but Lenny had a bit of trouble getting down without scratching his suit - thankfully, he was able to join the team on the ground.

"Ah, Flash!" Grimm smirked, now wielding a sword. "Back to try again?"

"At defeating you? Yes, and I've brought some more backup," Barry said. "You two aren't getting away with it this time."

"You idiot," Angar said, still gripping his crossbow. "Of course we are! We're demons, dammit!"

"And we will avenge August Heart," said Grimm eerily. "With a little help from our friend..."

And right after he said that, a pink knife hurled next to the team - nearly grazing Barry's shoulder as it implanted itself in the cement. The team turned around suddenly, only to see a mysterious-looking woman...

Gracen.

She jumped down gracefully, landing on the heels of her shoes before setting her feet down. How her feet weren't broken was beyond the team.

"Hello, Team Flash," Gracen said dangerously, stepping next to her two allies (who were both a full head taller than her). "Surprised?"

"At what?" Lenny asked.

"That a girl would do such a naughty thing," she said, giggling underneath her muffler.

"The only thing that surprises me is how clear your voice is underneath that muffler," said Grace. "That thing isn't even in style yet!"

"Style is the least of my worries these days," said Gracen. "And besides, this costume is only temporary... I'll have a better one soon."

"Not gonna be a better one if you're making it from your cell's items," said Barry.

"Ooh! You need some ice for that burn?" asked Becky sassily.

Gracen, however, wasn't deterred. "This is only the beginning, Flash! You're gonna be much more terrified of me later..."

"That a challenge?" asked Barry.

Gracen scowled underneath her muffler. "No. Its a promise."

And with that, she put her hands on Grimm and Angar's shoulders, and the Brothers Grimm disappeared, along with Gracen.

"...What the hell was that?" asked Cisco. "Not gonna lie, I'm kinda disappointed."

"You're not alone here," Grace said, sighing and crossing her arms.

* * *

"So, did you guys get a good look at this mystery girl?" asked Caitlin.

"She was wearing a muffler and a trench coat," sighed Lenny. "The best thing we have is black hair."

"Its a start," Caitlin said, offering a supportive smile.

"Regardless... we need to give her a name," Cisco said. "Pink the Dagger?"

"You just basically rephrased Jack the Ripper," Becky said to her boyfriend.

"Well, it makes sense!" said Cisco. "Granted, she hasn't killed anyone yet, but she probably will!"

"We need to stop her first; that's our main priority," Barry said. "I've got a bad feeling that she might be working up to something bigger than what we see on the front line.

Everyone nodded, and before long, they started to file out of the room. Eventually, only Barry and Caitlin were left.

Caitlin hugged her fiancee tightly. "So... what do you think is gonna happen next?"

"Whatever it is," Barry assured her, kissing her hair, "we're gonna be ready for it. We won't have another August Heart on our hands."

...Easier said than done.

* * *

**aight y'all gonna ask you guys a question: WHICH GODSPEED IS BETTER MINE OR THE SHOW'S**

**GUYS I'M KIDDING PLEASE DON'T TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY XD XD XD But, do take this seriously: I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! You all are the reason this is even happening!**

**Also, since it is almost midnight where I am, happy Good Friday everyone! I can't wait to celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday! :D**

**Welp, I hope this wasn't too shabby of a start! I'll see you guys soon! I love you all! :D**

**Previous: - Current: Hero of Central City - Next: Swift Shady**


	2. UPDATE!

**Hey guys! Contrary to popular belief... this story... eh, I can't really save myself here. It was abandoned for a while, wasn't it? **

**I didn't want to, but I just didn't feel inspired whatsoever to write for it. HOWEVER, with the start of Crisis on Infinite Earths, I feel like... like its time. Time to come back to my Arrowverse roots. My Snowbarry roots.**

**I've remembered and dug up a bit of what I had in mind for Chapter 2 (which I'll HOPEFULLY get up before Christmas!), and honestly... I feel like I can really make this work. :D**

**OH ALSO - I remembered literally every detail of my crossover for this story, somehow... idk how but I'm proud of myself for it XD It'll be a four chapter long crossover, bring in more heroes from DC in general, and the main antagonist will be Nekron the Black Lantern!**

**I hope to see you guys there when I come back in full swing. I love all of you so much and you all are a treasure to me. Thank you for putting up with me and my stupid self for so long. :) I love y'all! See you when Chapter 2 drops!**

**Much love,**

**\- Choco**


	3. 4x02

**Y'know what... its the first chapter back. Let's save all the sentimental stuffs until the end, bcuz I know my rambling probably gets annoying sometimes. XD**

**Hope you guys enjoy this first chapter back! :D**

**Oh but before we start, I'm gonna list off these characters just in case anyone forgot :D  
**

**Team Flash: Barry, Cait, Cisco, Becky, Grace Balin/Orca, Lenny Fiasco/Eraser  
Bad guys (so far): Gracen/Star Sapphire, Grimm and Angar/The Brothers Grimm**

**Carla is Barry's aunt, and Nora's twin sister (my only OC besides Kimmy Rhodes, deputy police captain)**

**Other side Team Flash allies: Dominic Lanse/Brainstorm, Marlize DeVoe, Seth Adams/Black Adam, Amunet Black**

**Villains from the previous rewrite (that may return ;)): Aaron/August/Godspeed, Chloe/Red Lantern Supergirl, Drury Walker/Killer Moth, Alex Sartorius/"Ralph Dibny"/Elongated Man, Laura De Mille/Madame Rouge (E-2 Talia al Ghul), Emily Briggs/Looker, Zombie Thomas Elliot/Murmur and Zombie Victor Goodman/King Tut**

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Swift Shady**_

**Chapter 2 Summary: An old drug kingpin re-emerges in Central City for the first time in over three decades, forcing yet another predicament to fall upon Team Flash as they try to combat Richard Swift, now known as Shade, with the power to become completely invisible in shadows, and his right hand man - a doctor who preys on adrenaline-infused blood.**

"Three... two... one..."

Cisco and Becky's heads were cranked back as they downed their shots of vodka, both making ridiculous faces as they came back to normal - well, as normal as could be when they were both three shots down. A casino date had been Becky's idea, considering she could potentially use some of her good luck to score some extra cash (only joking, of course!), but this Saturday night was enough of a win for her already.

"Oooooh, startin' to feel it," Becky giggled. "Weak sauce," Cisco fired jokingly.

"Hey! I'm your girlfrien', you can't say stuff like that to me!" Becky laughed.

"Hmm? When did that happen?" Cisco asked sarcastically, also smirking to let Becky know he was joking.

However, as the two were laughing and having a good time, there was other stuff going down at the opposite end of the casino - other, more sinister, stuff.

"Listen to me," the elderly man said to one of his partners. "If I don't get my next shipment in by Monday, its gonna be all your fault, and I know a couple of people that will be looking for your head. Its very important to me that you understand this, Ramsey."

"I got it, I got it," Ramsey nodded. "Listen, don't worry sir. You'll have the next shipment and make all our mob buddies happy. Deal?"

The elderly man nodded, but he didn't seem content. All Ramsey knew is that he wanted to get out of there, so he quickly left the table and left behind some money to try and appease his boss. But the man looked down instead at Ramsey's boots... he was casting a shadow.

He smirked.

And then, in a split second, he had vanished out of thin air.

Ramsey was quickly making his way out of the casino, eager to get home and forget about his boss for the weekend.

Suddenly, as his shadow vanished in a dark alley, he found himself pressed against the wall... by his boss. Who was holding a knife to his throat. "M-M-Mr., Mr. Swift!" he stuttered. "Wha-wha-wha-wha-"

"I've gotten a few power-ups since our last meeting, Ramsey," said Swift. "Now, in case I wasn't clear - my shipment will be here by Monday, yes?"

"Y-Y-Yes sir," Ramsey panted, scared for his life.

"Good," Swift smirked. "Remember, Dr. Rosso... I am always in your shadow..." He then adjusted his purple tie, and walked off into the distance, leaving a very shaken and disheveled Ramsey alone to ponder his boss's words of fear.

The doctor adjusted his tie, and shakily walked back to his apartment... Richard Swift was not a man to mess with.

Because even at a ripe age of seventy, the guy still had a spring in his step. And now, he could be in anyone's shadow.

**-0-0-0-**

"Lazy Saturday?" Caitlin asked her fiancee when she saw his eyes flutter open, with a small smile on her lips.

"Oh yeah, no chance of not having one," said Barry, sleepily rubbing her tummy covered by her pajama shirt. "We deserve one, don't you think?"

"You do," she muttered, smiling. "Dr. Caitlin Snow, did I just hear you decrease yourself to put me up?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. "I will be having none of that, ma'am." "Oh fine... I guess... both of us deserve one," she sighed, playfully rolling her eyes.

"You know, ever since we got together, you have become such a tease," Barry observed, smiling.

"You've rubbed off on me, I guess," Caitlin said happily. "Now go back to sleep, we have 'nother hour before society demands we arise."

"You're so weird," Barry muttered, giggling as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Anyway, about an hour later, the two finally woke up for real and began to make breakfast with one another. The fall that was beginning to roll in warranted pumpkin spice being used again, and to try and give themselves some energy, they used it in the icing for their cinnamon rolls.

"I'm gonna be bouncing off of the walls later," the doctor muttered, taking another bite. "But gosh, these are so good..."

"You think _your _gonna be bouncing? I'll be in the hospital then," Barry laughed.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, and he briefly took a break from eating to answer it when he saw that his aunt was calling him. "Auntie! Hi!"

"_Hi Bar!_" she said happily. "_How are you this lovely Sunday morning?_"

"Pretty good, all things considered," Barry smiled. "_I know you're probably still not over the assassination attempt on Mayor Morrisroe,_" Carla said sympathetically. "_But you did good, kiddo... I'm so proud of you and your team._"

"Thank you, Auntie," Barry said, smiling slightly. "That means a lot to hear from you."

"_Anytime kiddo,_" she said. "_Well, my doctor's on his way back with my results for some blood work, so I better be heading over there. Love ya, Bar!_"

"Love you too, Auntie! Goodbye," he said, hanging up after Carla told him bye as well. Barry was then ready to watch something on Netflix with Caitlin, his phone rang yet again. He rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Cait..."

"You're fine!" Caitlin assured him.

Barry answered the phone, and to his surprise, it was Lenny Fiasco on the other end of the line. "_Barry, I'm really sorry to disturb you on a Saturday, but this is pretty dang important. I have some info here you're gonna wanna here. Meet me in the lab as soon as you can, if you're not doing anything too important._"

Barry sighed. "Be right there Lenny..."

"_Thanks again, Barry,_" Lenny said, before hanging up.

Barry sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry, Cait... but Lenny needs me at the lab. Says its 'really important'."

"I'll be right here waiting, honey," she said, kissing his cheek. "Well... actually, this is a good opportunity to run some errands, but I'm pretty sure I'll be back by the time that you're back."

"Thanks for putting up with me, Cait," he smiled, kissing her back. "You deserve an award. Love you so!"

"Love you too, honey!" she said happily, once again feeling that wonderful gust of wind as her fiancee sped off into the distance.

-0-

"Alright Lenny, I don't mean to sound rude when I ask this," Barry said, "but what was so important that it requires coming into the lab on a Sunday?"

"I asked myself the same question, if I'm being honest," Lenny said. "But just trust me - you're gonna wanna hear this."

The two then walked into the central room, where Grace also stood, ready with a laptop. "So, Barry, let's cut to the chase - we've found a drug dealer that has managed to fly under the radar of CCPD for, get this, _three decades._"

"W-Woah... really?" Barry whispered. "Man, good job guys..."

"Get this - we got his name, and also a potential drug buddy," smirked Grace. "Their names are Richard Swift and Ramsey Rosso."

Barry's heart suddenly stopped when he saw a very familiar face in Ramsey Rosso... he knew he was a doctor. But not just any doctor...

He was his aunt's doctor. And she was seeing him today.

Barry immediately sped out of the lab, fear coating his face as he fled the scene. Grace spat the hair out of her face, and Lenny appeared shocked. "Where was he off to in such a hurry?"

"Hopefully to throw Swift and Rosso in the slammer," Grace muttered. "That'd help with the cleanup... and also give us more time to find Gracen."

"How's that coming along anyway?" Lenny asked his wife. "Eh..." she shrugged. "Could be coming along better, for sure... nothing so far."

"Let's keep digging," Lenny said, hugging Grace for reassurance, before the two headed back to working on their Gracen case to try and gain some more ground.

-0-

"Thank you so much again for coming in today, Ms. Daniella," said Ramsey courteously. "I will call you about your blood work tomorrow; we should have the results by then."

"Great! Thank you so much, Dr. Rosso," said Carla. "Its always a pleasure."

"You too, Ms. Daniella," Ramsey smiled, holding the door open as she walked out of his office.

The doctor then waited a few more moments, before taking a brief look-around outside of his office, and heading down the hallway... but Barry was lingering at the opposite end, appearing as normal as could be, before tailgating Ramsey from a safe distance.

He needed to see if he could catch him in some sort of act... he wanted to get Ramsey off the streets and into the interrogation booth as quick as possible. That would mean his aunt wouldn't be at risk for getting caught up in one of Ramsey's schemes.

Barry continued to follow Ramsey all the way into an employee's only area. He looked right and left, and to his surprise (and, at this time, a very helpful surprise it was), there were no security cameras. Waiting until he could hear Ramsey no more behind the door, he quickly slid in.

Suddenly, he felt himself grabbed by the waist, arms, and legs, and pinned up against the wall...

Ramsey.

His right arm had become a black, gunky mess, and it had sprawled out into five sub-arms, of sorts, that were keeping him tightly pressed against the wall.

"Well... what have we here?" Ramsey asked, turning around to face Barry directly - his eyes were a black, slightly tinged-red void. His voice had also gotten much deeper and sinister, and Barry was actually feeling fear rise as his adrenaline kicked up.

"W-WH-What are you?!" Barry asked, shaking in what little room he had.

"Dr. Ramsey Rosso, it would seem," the monster in human clothing said. "And although I may look like a monster right now... there's always one more hiding in the shadows."

Claps seemed to come from nowhere, but then, a man started becoming visible as he backed out of Ramsey's shadow - Richard Swift.

"Excellent work, Ramsey," said Swift. "I am much more impressed with your work today than I was yesterday, that's for sure."

"Thank you, sir," said Ramsey.

"Now... what to do with our friend here?" asked Swift, tapping his chin as Barry struggled to break free without using his powers. "Take him back? Do some tests on some of our own experiments?"

"I've got some interesting blood work cooking up," smirked Ramsey. "He'd make a fine test subject, don't you think?"

Barry's mind was racing faster than ever, and something was evidently causing Ramsey to grow stronger, as the grip on his body only grew tighter the more scared he got... what was going on here?

He quickly realized - there was no getting out of this without his powers. He had to use them. "Get a good look at my face, boys," Barry smirked, "because you'll never see it again - except for beyond bars."

Barry then broke free by vibrating his molecules, like how he did to run through walls, and sped away at top speed to get back to the lab and contact Grace and Lenny to tell them about his discovery. Ramsey, meanwhile, groaned in pain, but quickly regenerated back to full strength - with a complete arm to boot.

"That was the Flash..." Swift muttered, phased only slightly.

"What should we do about it, boss?" asked Ramsey, his form returning to normal.

"...Let him do whatever he wishes," Swift said, "its not like I need to have a frozen target to cling onto their shadow, Ramsey."

Ramsey nodded, following what his boss was saying. He then let Swift fall back into his shadow, and walked out of the room like nothing had ever happened.

-0-

"I... I had an encounter with Swift and Rosso," said Barry.

"You what?! You engaged this early?" Grace asked in disbelief. "Barry..."

"That's not all," said Barry, still a bit shaken from the horrifying encounter. "Ramsey... Ramsey can become a monster. Like, literally - he can turn his eyes into these void lookalikes, and his arm can shape shift into this black, gunky mess where it looks like he has five other arms coming out of it."

"I already want to barf," Lenny muttered.

"Let's call Caitlin," said Grace.

"No no no," Barry insisted, "she doesn't need to be worried about this-"

"Barry, she's your _fiance!_" Grace spluttered. "Why would you want to keep her out of this?" "I-I don't want her to be worried about me! Or get hurt!" Barry answered honestly. Grace would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed - usually that took a bit of dancing around the answer.

"Barry, Caitlin won't be too worried, or get hurt at all," said Grace, "but she'll be very worried and quite possibly hurt in her heart if you don't tell her what's going on. You need to be open and honest with her - wouldn't you think? She'd probably be able to give us a lot of insight into this whole ordeal too." "...Yeah, you're probably right," Barry muttered.

"No, she is right," Lenny said, trying to lighten the mood. "Barry, Caitlin won't be mad at all to help you, if that's another thing you're concerned about. She wants to help you - otherwise, she wouldn't be marrying you later on."

Barry smirked. "Y'know, I'm really glad we got you two on the good side."

"We're glad to be here," said Grace. "Oh, speaking of reformed villains, how are Amunet and Seth doing?"

"Funny enough, Seth is now an electrician, and Amunet is a banker," chuckled Barry. "They've really managed to get things straightened out quick. We're all happy for them, I can say that for sure. Oh, and thanks for that pep talk, you guys. I really needed that."

"Anytime, dude," Lenny smirked.

"I'll call Caitlin," Grace said, patting his shoulder. "Get that part done and over with for ya. Tell you what, I'll call Cisco and Becky too - let's get the whole Flash fam on the case. We'll get these two put away in no time."

Barry smiled... he was already feeling better after that horrific encounter.

-0-

"I hereby name these two - Shade and Bloodwork," Cisco said, once he had heard Barry's story. "O-Oh, by the way, Barry - really sorry that happened to you, just trying to lighten the mood with some meta-naming."

"Its cool, Cisco," Barry chuckled, "Bloodwork for Ramsey actually makes a lot of sense..."

"Ramsey and I were college friends," Caitlin said sadly. "Its... its a shame to see him go down this path... he was a good guy." "I'm sorry, Cait," Barry said softly, standing closer to her. "I-Its okay," Caitlin assured him, "we kinda had a falling out a few years ago anyway..."

If they were alone, however, Barry just knew she'd say "it still hurts, though...". He just knew his Cait.

"So, you said the more scared you got, the stronger Ramsey's grip on you got," said Caitlin, trying to get her mind off of her old college friend that would never have hurt a soul, "well... what if its to do with blood?"

"Like, adrenaline?" asked Cisco.

"Maybe, yes," she said, clacking over to the computer. "If Barry was getting scared, then what if Ramsey was feeding off of your fear - and heightened adrenaline - to give himself some extra juice?"

"Literally or metaphorically?" asked Becky. "Because... if he can take blood, instead of, y'know, just feed off of it through telepathy, we've got a bigger problem than we thought here."

"Barry's blood levels are completely normal, as far as I can tell," Caitlin said. "So I think Ramsey just feeds off of it through haemokinesis, or blood manipulation."

"Great, now we got a dude who can manipulate something we can't help," Lenny said, rubbing his forehead. "And we haven't even gotten to Swift yet."

"I actually think there's a really simple way of defeating Swift," said Barry, "but let's wait a moment on that. Cait, do you think there's a way we can stop Ramsey from manipulating our blood in battle to use for his own gain?"

"Well, unless we've got a way of calming ourselves - no alcohol, obviously - then... wait," she muttered. "Becky, would you be so kind as to get us some lavender tea from the store?"

"I'm on it," Becky said, already heading out.

"Now - about fighting Swift," said Barry, "I had an idea... it might be stupid-"

"Barry, stupid is the Legends' average day, and they've lived through three seasons so far," said Cisco. "What's your idea, bro?"

"Okay... what if, to fight Shade, we take out any possibility of shadows? Instead, just a room of darkness?" suggested Barry. "Do you think we could get night vision on my suit?"

"That's the thing, dude," smirked Cisco, "take a look behind you..."

Barry turned around, and there was a new, brighter Flash suit behind him - and if he was catching Cisco's drift, night vision came pre-installed. "I love you, dude," Barry muttered. "Sorry Caitlin, he's mine now," Cisco winked. Caitlin rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help letting a little giggle escape.

"Dang, nice threads," Grace muttered.

"I still find it funny that I'm called Eraser and my combat suit looks like a pencil," Lenny muttered. "S-Sorry, sorry; that's a dope suit, Allen."

Barry smiled... finally, this was all coming together.

About twenty minutes later, Becky was back with a box of the tea supplies - the calming substance would be drank by those heading into the field on the night that they fought Shade and Bloodwork. Barry would be going after Swift, and after some discussion, Grace would be going after Ramsey - water may not be thicker than blood, but she intended to prove it was much more badass. Cisco and Becky would cut the power to the building on Barry's command, shrouding it in complete darkness, and giving Barry ample time to take down Swift.

All that was left to do was pinpoint the location of the two...

-0-

**_Monday, 8:00 PM_**

After taking Sunday off to recuperate and regenerate, the band of four were making their way up to the harbor-side building that Swift and Ramsey were, apparently, hiding out in.

"Y'know, for once, this aesthetic makes sense," Becky muttered. "Usually villains hide in the warehouse for the look, and to make it 'less obvious' - but they're drug dealers! Imported goods from the sea, all that jazz... See, it all makes sense if you put in the effort."

"Did _you _drink some of the lavender tea too?" asked Barry, smiling lightly.

"Just a smidgen," Becky winked. "I was nervous too!"

"You'll do great," Cisco assured her, holding her hand to help calm her even more.

"Alright, you take Swift, I take Ramsey, right?" Grace asked, receiving a confirmation from the team leader. "Great... let's do this."

With that, Cisco and Becky ran off to search for the warehouse's power box, and Barry and Grace went through the mysteriously unlocked door... this already wasn't a good sign. The warehouse was dimly lit too - this just had bad written all over it.

"I'll take left, you take right," Barry whispered. "Gotcha," Grace nodded.

And with that, the Flash and Orca went their separate ways.

-0-

Grace traveled down the dimly lit halls with severe caution. She knew that, at any moment, Bloodwork could pop out and make any lavender calming-thingamajig immediately lose all affect with one good timed scare.

And as if that weren't enough, the light at the end of the hallway was flickering... and there appeared to be a shadow growing closer. Great.

"Dr. Ramsey Rosso!" Grace called loudly. "I know that's you!"

The shadow quickly began to shrink in size, but not just as if it was moving closer to the light, but as if... it was actually shrinking itself. Before too long, the light flickered off for a good five seconds, and then as it came back on - bam. There he was, right at the end of the hall, his demonic void-filled eyes staring into Grace's soul.

Even if she was calmed, it was still hella creepy.

"We were expecting guests," Ramsey boomed, a devilish smirk on his face. "Just... not of the special kind."

"So we're run of the mill to you? That's insulting," muttered Grace.

"Water is not thicker than blood, Orca; I would hope you know this before deciding to attack," Ramsey said, smirking.

"I know," Grace shrugged.

Suddenly, harbor waves began to sound outside, and water came rocketing towards the window in a mighty gush, crashing into the building as Grace herself began to smirk.

"I'll outmatch you in other ways," she said, moving her hands around to conform the rushing water to her will. Ramsey scowled, and began to walk towards Grace menacingly - but she stood her ground.

She could only hope Barry was fairing as well as she was...

-0-

Barry had already activated night vision, just in case he needed to call in a very quick and fast power cut from Cisco and Becky - they had long since confirmed that they had found the breaker box, and all they were waiting on was a confirmation shout from the team leader himself.

Caitlin was telling him assuring things into his earpiece to make sure he never lost his calm, should he run into Bloodwork instead, and Lenny was cracking a joke or two every now and again. It was actually helping quite a bit.

"Hello, Flash," a whisper suddenly echoed in his ear, causing him to shudder and jump in surprise. "I've been expecting you..."

"H-Hey Swift," shuddered Barry, trying to appear confident.

He suddenly felt a kick to his back, causing him to trip and stumble over a few steps, but he quickly recovered - he was now in a blind spot of the overhead light, and Richard Swift was now visible on the other side of said light.

"It wouldn't take much to kill me, you know," Swift smirked. "But... you seem to be particularly weak when it comes to that stuff..."

"That doesn't mean I won't hurt you," Barry growled, running in for a punch - but Swift caught the briefest glimpse of his shadow, and hid in the pocket dimension-of sorts to escape the blow. He returned to sender, and Barry went down to the floor.

"You think you have the upper hand, don't you?" Barry asked. "That's cute... NOW GUYS!"

Suddenly, a loud whirring sound cut to a halt, and the entire room was black - now, Barry had a heat signature on Swift. He couldn't hide any longer.

"Gah! Damn you, Flash!" yelled Swift, seeming genuinely disturbed by the sudden move.

"I've got you now, Swift," Barry muttered, feeling a sudden rush of confidence.

However... he felt a tap on his shoulder. Surely Grace wouldn't have dealt with Bloodwork already, right? He turned to see the heat signature...

And was met with a punch to the face.

Barry fell back and screamed, caught so off guard that even Swift seemed to be stunned. It had the figure of a female, and a hot energy reading was coming from a serrated blade that she wielded in her right hand... oh no. Barry knew _exactly _who this was.

"GUYS! RESTORE THE POWER!" Barry yelled. "Grace... Grace! We need to leave!"

"Why?!" Grace asked, "Bloodwork's almost down!"

"Its Gracen! She's here!" Barry said, bolting away as fast as he could to try and find Grace. He found her within a second, and then the two bolted out of the warehouse together. Bloodwork was angered by the sudden loss of a good fight, but when he heard his boss calling for him, he quickly ran over.

"Yes, sir?" asked Ramsey, transforming back to normal as his powers slowly diminished - he was shocked at what he saw.

There, on the floor, was a disheveled Richard Swift, and a tall woman with dark black hair was standing in front of him, holding a blazing pink knife.

"Hello, lads," Gracen said, smirking. "Say, you two seem like you might be of use to me..."

-0-

"Why did you all evacuate just because Gracen showed up?" Lenny asked once Team Flash returned.

"We don't know what she's capable of, mainly," Barry said, "that and... and the tea was starting to wear off. If my warning took Grace by surprise and caused her adrenaline to kick in, Bloodwork could've easily fed off of that and gotten the upper hand in your fight."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty weak," Grace shrugged. "But still, honestly, we don't know what anyone is capable of right now. We haven't had a chance to study them deeply yet... thanks for that, Barry. You could've saved some lives today among us."

Barry nodded, but still felt ashamed that he had just fled the scene.

"Hey," Caitlin whispered, walking over to her fiancee, "its okay, Barry... never be ashamed of running from something you don't know the strength of, okay? We don't know if Gracen could've done... done the worst tonight. You may have stopped a disaster."

Barry smiled weakly - it was enough to assure Caitlin it was genuine though. "Thanks Cait," he whispered, leaning on her shoulder.

And with that, Team Flash stood in silence...

They were gonna need to regroup and begin the next stages of their plan soon.

Because Lord only knows what Gracen could've had planned... and what was she doing with Shade and Bloodwork anyway?

* * *

**I FEEL SO ACCOMPLISHED YOU GUYSSSSSS**

**Nah but fr tho thank you all so much for sticking with my stupid self even through that nearly eight month hiatus. Its thanks to good friends and amazing readers/followers like you all that I'm still gonna be doing this. Thank you all so much. From the bottom of my heart, I love you all dearly. :D**

**If you could be so kind as to leave a review, I would LOVE to hear what you thought! Thanks for reading guys! See ya next chapter! ;)**

**Previous: Hero of Central City - Current: Swift Shady - Next: Stretched Thin**


End file.
